Aldea Spiritual Community

ETHOS (Part 10): Life is a Gift, Love is the Point | Ryan Meeks & Jake Haber

Check out this rich and heartfelt conversation with Ryan Meeks as we explore the depth of his guiding phrase: “Life is a Gift, Love is the Point.”
 
Ryan shares with honesty and humor about milestone experiences that have shaped his journey—including the bold and transformational shift of EastLake Church, which he founded in the early 2000s. Under his leadership, EastLake evolved from a fast-growing evangelical megachurch to an inclusive spiritual community that made headlines when it fully embraced LGBTQ+ inclusion and reimagined its core values around love, justice, and belonging.
 
We also dive into Ryan’s deeply personal journey through cancer and how it has further shaped his understanding of what really matters in life. And we talk about his current work helping others build lives of meaning and purpose beyond religious boxes—work that resonates deeply with Aldea’s vision of open-hearted, inclusive spirituality.
 
If you’re drawn to conversations about spiritual evolution, personal authenticity, and building communities where love truly is the point, this is one you won’t want to miss.
 
To learn more about Ryan and his work, visit loveisthepoint.com

ETHOS (Part 9): Compassion | Scott Blades & Jake Haber

Join us for this stirring interview with Scott Blades—founder and executive director of TIHAN, a faith-based non-profit serving those affected by HIV/AIDS in the Tucson region. 
 
In this far-reaching conversation, we explore the importance of compassion as a virtue, the role of stigma in marginalization, and the connective power of empathy. 
 
To learn more about TIHAN, visit TIHAN.org

ETHOS (Part 8): Holism | Jaden Hawkinson & Jake Haber

Enjoy this in-depth conversation with Naturopathic Doctor Jaden Hawkinson, as we explore what it means to live a balanced life of spiritual, emotional, and physical wellness through the lens of "holism".
 
What if we saw our health and wellbeing as more than just symptom management, but as a holistic system where diverse parts interact and work together? What if we pursued "side benefits" instead of simply tolerating "side effects?
 
Learn more or work with Jaden:
 
https://www.jadenhawkinson.com/
https://genesisnmc.com/
 
 

ETHOS (Part 7): Inclusion | Jake Haber

This Pride Month, we’re reflecting on what true inclusion means—not just in theory, but in practice, in our communities, and within ourselves. This message explores the sacred value of belonging, especially for those who have historically been excluded from spiritual spaces. Inclusion isn’t just a feel-good idea—it’s a necessary foundation for healing, identity, and even survival.
 
We dive into the complexities of creating safe spaces, acknowledging the layers of trust and vulnerability needed before genuine self-expression and love can emerge. You’ll hear reflections on how inclusive communities like Aldea have had to take bold stands in the face of resistance—and why that fight still matters.
 
Ultimately, this is an invitation to each of us to examine our internal and external “tables”: Who do we welcome? What parts of ourselves have we yet to embrace? And what might it look like to move toward a deeper, more expansive love—for ourselves, for others, and for the world?
 
Quotes: 
 
Kevin Garcia
“I’m telling you my story because not everyone has survived to tell theirs… bad theology kills… I attempted suicide twice… spent most of my life hating myself and abusing my body with drugs and alcohol… bad theology is killing all of us.”
Dr. Thema Bryant
“You cannot heal in a space that is unsafe. Safety is not a luxury; it is a necessity for wholeness.”
Brené Brown
“We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known. And that can only happen when we are safe.”
Kevin Garcia
“Inclusion isn’t about tolerating difference—it’s about celebrating the divine in every expression of it.”
Ram Dass
“Treat everyone you meet like God in drag.”
Barbara Brown Taylor
“The hardest spiritual work in the world is to love the neighbor as the self—to encounter another human being not as someone you can use, change, fix, help, save, enroll, convince, or control, but simply as someone who can spring you into spiritual reverence.”
Brian McLaren
“Why would I trust a God who is less merciful than I am? If I can imagine a more loving God than the one I’ve been taught, maybe that’s the Spirit inviting me to grow.”
Desmond Tutu
“Inclusive, good societies try to accept people as they are—even those whose acceptance of others is still evolving.”
Richard Rohr
“True inclusion doesn’t just welcome the outsider, it calls everyone into deeper maturity, including those who resist it.”
 

ETHOS (Part 6): Optimism | Jake Haber

In a time when headlines echo with conflict, uncertainty, and collapse, it can feel foolish—maybe even dangerous—to remain hopeful. But what if optimism isn’t about ignoring reality, but about choosing how we respond to it? In part 6 of ETHOS, we dive into the difference between naïve positivity and what we’re calling Sacred Optimism—a courageous, disciplined, even strategic way of engaging with life.
 
We explore how your worldview shapes your participation in the world and examine the spiritual, historical, and psychological roots of optimism as a powerful human choice—not a prediction, but a practice. This is for anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by the state of things but still senses there’s something worth planting, even if tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.
 
Quotes:
 
James Baldwin
“I can’t be a pessimist because I’m alive. To be a pessimist means that you have agreed that human life is an academic matter. So I’m forced to be an optimist.”
Howard Zinn
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion… What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives.”
Teilhard de Chardin
“The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.”
Martin Luther (attributed)
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today.”
Victor Hugo (Les Misérables)
“There is nothing like a dream to create the future. Utopia today, flesh and blood tomorrow.”
Dhammapada 1:1 (Buddha)
“With our thoughts, we make the world.”
Noam Chomsky
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”
Mariame Kaba
“Hope is a discipline.”
Viktor Frankl
“Everything can be taken from [us] but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
John O’Donohue
“The soul is the place where the eternal and time meet… where the future is still willing to emerge from the unknown.”
 

ETHOS (Part 5): Flexibility | Jake Haber

As we continue our ETHOS series , we explore the sacred superpower of flexibility - not the physical kind, but the spiritual and emotional kind that helps us move through life’s pressures without breaking. From shifting expectations to navigating change, we reflect on how letting go of rigidity can actually make us stronger, softer, and more alive.
 
Using imagery from nature and timeless wisdom, we examine what it means to stay limber in heart, mind, and soul - especially when life doesn’t go as planned. Whether you’re facing loss, transition, or simply the unpredictability of being human, this message invites you to bend, not break - and to find strength in softness.
 
Quotes:
 
Warren McCaig: “Be flexible or be miserable.”
Alan Watts:
“There is a contradiction in wanting to be perfectly secure in a universe whose very nature is momentariness and fluidity.” (The Wisdom of Insecurity)
“The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.” (The Wisdom of Insecurity)
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 76:
“When alive, the body is soft and pliant; when dead, it is hard and rigid. Living plants are tender and filled with sap; dead ones are brittle and dry. Therefore, the hard and inflexible are friends of death, The soft and yielding are friends of life.”
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 22:
“If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked. The flexible are preserved unbroken.”
Mary Oliver:
“I tell you this to break your heart, by which I mean only that it break open and never close again to the rest of the world.”
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 78:
“Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it….The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid. Everyone knows this is true, but few can put it into practice.”
Tao Te Ching – Chapter 43:
“The softest thing in the universe overcomes the hardest thing in the universe. That without substance can enter where there is no room. Thus I know the value of non-action.”
Iris DeMent ("Let The Mystery Be"):
“I believe in love and I live my life accordingly, but I choose to let the mystery be.”
 

ETHOS (Part 4): Enthusiasm | Jake Haber

What if enthusiasm wasn’t just a fleeting mood but a sacred value?
 
In Part 4 of our ETHOS series, we explore enthusiasm as a signpost of the divine, a compass pointing toward our unique path in the world. From the root meanings of words like enthusiasm (“en-theo” – filled with God), inspire (“in-spirit”), and ecstatic (“to stand outside oneself”), we uncover the deep spiritual undercurrents behind that feeling of aliveness that pulls us forward, often beyond comfort, into courage.
 
This message unpacks how true enthusiasm arises not from status or certainty, but from soulful connection between ourselves and something greater. We look at what it means to live a life of purpose, to feel something whispering to us, calling us, even amidst fear, practicality, and the noise of the world.
 
What makes you come alive? And can you follow it, not just for your own fulfillment, but because the world desperately needs people who are lit up from within?
 
Quotes:
 
 
Paramahansa Yogananda:
“Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in all circumstances. It is more important than money, power, or status.”
Sufi Proverb:
“I searched for God and found only myself. I searched for myself and found only God.”
Bayazid Bastami:
“I went from God to God until they cried from me in me: ‘O you I!’”
Meister Eckhart:
“The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me.”
David Whyte:
“The price of our vitality is the sum of all our fears.”
Anaïs Nin:
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
Brené Brown:
“If you’re not in the arena getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.”
Howard Thurman:
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Joseph Campbell:
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”
St. Ignatius of Loyola:
“Go forth and set the world on fire.”
 
 

ETHOS (Part 3): Boundaries | Jake Haber

In this raw and timely message—recorded on Mother’s Day and the third Sunday of our ETHOS series—we explore the sacred value of boundaries. While the word “boundaries” can sound harsh or isolating, this talk flips the script and reframes boundaries as an act of love, honesty, and spiritual alignment. We reflect on how true connection requires a deep understanding of self and a willingness to honor the uniqueness of others.
 
Drawing on personal stories, societal pressures, and the challenges of people-pleasing and perfectionism, Jake invites us to unpack how boundaries can be fluid, courageous, and essential to both individual wellbeing and authentic community. Whether you’re navigating family dynamics, spiritual growth, or simply trying to figure out what you’re able to give and receive, this message invites you to honor your energies, reimagine what connection means, and show up fully as yourself.
 
This one is honest and deeply life affirming; perfect for anyone ready to move beyond old scripts of self-sacrifice and step into a more sustainable, soul-aligned way of being.
 
Quotes:
 
Henri Nouwen:
“Boundaries are not a dividing line, but a defining one. They mark where I end and you begin—and that is the only way real connection can occur.”
Gabor Maté:
“When we’re not seen for who we really are, we begin to shape ourselves into what we think the world wants to see. And that’s the beginning of the false self — the root of codependency.”
Brené Brown:
“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.”
Jake Woodard:
“Taking responsibility for your own life is a beautiful act of self-respect. Letting others do the same is an act of respect for them.”
Parker J. Palmer:
“True community is not about forcing sameness—it is about honoring difference while remaining connected.”
bell hooks:
“We build beloved community by being honest with one another, not by pleasing one another.”
Alan Watts:
“You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago.”
 

ETHOS (Part 2): Grit | Jean Gage

Check out Part 2 of our ETHOS series with guest speaker Jean Gage's message "The Spirit of Endurance: Cultivating Grit from Within." In it, she explores what it really means to endure — not just to survive difficult seasons, but to grow stronger because of them.
 
Drawing wisdom from ancient mystics, modern psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Jean invites us to discover how grit isn’t just about willpower — it’s about trust, transformation, hope, and meaning. Whether you’re facing personal challenges, navigating uncertainty, or simply longing to live with more resilience, this message offers inspiration and practical insight for cultivating inner strength over the long haul.
 
Quotes:
Angela Duckworth – “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, and day out – not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years – and working really hard to make that future a reality.”
Saint Teresa of Avila – “Trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things.”
The Buddha – “Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but final victory comes to the one who endures.”
Rumi – “Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead let life live through you.”
Friedrich Nietzsche – “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”
Rabindranath Tagore – “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.”
Angela Duckworth –
"What is hope?  One kind of hope is the expectation that tomorrow will be better than today.  It’s the kind of hope that has us yearning for sunnier weather, or a smoother path ahead.  It comes without the burden of responsibility.  The onus is on the universe to make things better.  Grit depends on a different kind of hope.  It rests on the expectation that our own efforts can improve our future.  I have a feeling tomorrow will be better is different from I resolve to make tomorrow better.  The hope that gritty people have has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with getting up again.”
Winston Churchill – “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Margaret Thatcher – “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”
Thomas Edison – “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
Julian of Norwich – “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”
Helen Keller – “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
John Wayne – “Courage is being scared to death….and saddling up anyway.”
 

ETHOS (Part 1) | Jake Haber

This week, we kick off a brand-new series: ETHOS: Sacred Values for a Struggling World.
 
As the world grows more complicated and divided, what holds us steady? What truly matters when beliefs falter, structures crumble, and old certainties fade?
 
We explore the vital difference between beliefs and values, why values matter more than ever, and how the future depends not just on what we claim to stand for—but how we embody it every day.
 
From personal reflection to collective responsibility, we invite you into a conversation about the kind of lives, communities, and world we are building together.
 
Get ready for encouragement, inspiration, challenge—and maybe even a few uncomfortable but transformative questions. It’s not always easy work, but it’s the real work of becoming who we are meant to be.
 
Jump in with us.
 
Quotes:
 
Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”
Epictetus:
“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.”
Maya Angelou:
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
Peter Rollins:
“We often adopt beliefs, not because they are true, but because they protect us from anxiety, doubt, and unknowing.”
Pope Francis:
“It is not enough to have values, we must live them. Only in this way will we build a future that is truly human… Values are not abstract; they are lived in the concrete, in the choices we make every day.”
Marc Gafni:
“Anti-value arises when trauma, shame, or shadow obscure the unique radiance of being. What we call evil is not the opposite of good, but the distortion of value.”
Pope Francis:
“A society that loses its values begins to lose its soul. We must guard the values that promote dignity, justice, and peace.”